CameraMouse - Move Pointer Without Mouse

Camera Mouse 2009 is a program that allows you to control the mouse pointer on a Windows computer just by moving your head. You can get cameramouse and software support for free at cameramouse.org

The program was developed to help people with disabilities use the computer. The main audience for this program is people who do not have reliable control of a hand but who can move their head. People with Cerebral Palsy, Spinal Muscular Atrophy, ALS, Multiple Sclerosis, various neurological disorders use this program and its predecessors to run all types of computer software.

How does Camera Mouse work?

Connect a USB video camera (webcam) to the computer. Put the camera on the monitor looking at you. Start up Camera Mouse. Your moving image will appear in the Camera Mouse window. Use the mouse to click on a feature on your face to track. Some unique area of the face. We usually use the inside edge of an eyebrow or eye or the area between the nose and the mouth. A small green square appears at the feature being tracked. As you move your head the square moves with it in the image.

Now press the Scroll Lock key or the Num Lock key or just wait for 4 seconds. The Camera Mouse program takes over control of the mouse pointer on the screen. As you move your head the mouse pointer moves accordingly. If you move the mouse itself (or press the Scroll Lock key or Num Lock key) the control returns to the mouse.
You can adjust the settings by clicking on the Camera Mouse Settings button at the bottom of the window. Here you can change the gains and turn on clicking. Clicking is done using "dwell time," by holding the mouse pointer within a small area of the screen for a second or two. Or you can click in the regular way using the mouse button or a switch.
For double click, or right click, you should need a special program for it. But don't worry, cameramouse.org has prepared for you at its download section and absolutely free.

What advice would you give to someone just starting out with Camera Mouse?
Start with slow but steady head movements. The computer is trying to track the point on your face that you selected. If you make quick, jerky movements the computer might lose tracking. Experiment with your head movements to see what the computer can track and when the computer loses tracking. Pretty soon you should be able to minimize the Camera Mouse program and still control the mouse pointer by moving your head. It's not at all difficult to use Camera Mouse but it does take a couple of minutes of practice.

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